Super Fan
by Taliax
Summary: It was a good thing Alya was holding the phone and not her, because it would have slipped from her fingers and shattered. How had she not noticed? She had been there, and somehow she'd missed her crush looking at her like she was an angel sent from heaven. Forget the perfume ad. /This/ picture was going to be her new desktop. Post-Gorizilla Ladrien mutual embarrased fangirling.


**A/N: *obligatory apology for starting new fics rather than updating my wips* *obligatory ramble about falling into Miraculous Ladybug hell* ANYWAY who's ready for some ladrien my dudes**

**Set the day of Gorizilla, because that episode gave me feelings and I wanted to do something about it.**

Marinette went to the pool. Physically. She was pretty sure she did, anyway—Alya was talking and Rose and Juleka were being adorable as always and Mylene had asked her some questions that received garbled answers because no matter how much Marinette wanted to scream about her day, she _couldn't. _Not physically, not emotionally, and _definitely _not superheroically.

She'd gone to the movies with Adrien. But she'd also _almost watched him fall to his death. _She'd told him to trust her and he had, _completely, _but then she'd—and the Gorilla had—

If the akuma hadn't let her go, Adrien would've died. His beautiful face, the face she'd stupidly spent hours drooling and spilling yogurt over, would've been crushed against the unforgiving pavement. She didn't know if even the Miraculous Cure could fix that.

But he was okay. He was okay, she was okay, _every _akuma fight had moments like that, there was no reason she had to keep replaying it in her head, over and over—the way he'd let himself fall without a care in the world, as if he'd sprout wings or start walking on clouds like that stupid commercial—

Aaaand then of course she was thinking of _that _again, and she hated herself for it. She'd even quoted it before the movie, like some love-struck fool—which she _was, _but that wasn't the point! She'd seen all those fans going crazy for him, how uncomfortable they made him—she should've known—he trusted her but she was just making things _worse— _

"Girl, you checked out, like, an hour ago," Alya finally said with a sigh. Her arms emerged from the water to cross over the lip of the pool, where Marinette was lying face down on the concrete. "You can only pretend to be tanning for so long. You may be half Chinese, but you still fry up like an omelette."

Marinette groaned and rolled onto her back, which chafed against the rough pavement. So she was going to add blistering sunburn to her list of life problems. Great.

"I'm sorry, Alya. I was really looking forward to this today, but…"

"But then you saw Adrien for twenty minutes and your brain got left with him?"

Her face felt as red as her back must be. "I don't think I had a brain in the first place. If I did, I wouldn't have gone out in my _pajamas, _and—and there's _pictures of me, _with _him, _ON THE INTERNET,_ IN MY PAJAMAS! __**ALYA!"**_

"Wooooaaah, Mari, chill out." Alya reached over to squeeze her shoulder. The cool water from her hand shocked her out of her wide-eyed panic. "He looked pretty silly in that motorcycle helmet himself. And hey, at least you didn't get caught by that akuma with him! I'm sure he was more worried about that than what you were wearing."

Marinette turned her head to give her best friend an unamused stare. "Great. I'll just count on an akuma to make me look better every time I turn into a huge dork."

"That's not what I meant and you know it. What's gotten into you?" Alya frowned, her her eyebrows creasing in worry. Normally she got more frustrated when Marinette wouldn't spill. The worry was almost more concerning.

"Nothing," she said, biting her lip and staring back up at the sky. Not a cloud in sight, but in her heart, thunder kept cracking. Every time she saw Adrien's golden hair disappear over the side of the skyscraper—every time she felt the Gorilla's fist crush around her—

Every time she felt her yo-yo wrap around Adrien, pull him flush against her pounding heart—

"I was just so worried about him. Ladybug can't always save everyone."

It wasn't a lie. It felt wrong to play favorites as Ladybug, but she couldn't deny she'd felt more terrified than ever today. Especially since his leap had been at her request.

He had _trusted her… _and she'd been helpless. No way out. No Chat Noir to clean up her mistakes. If the akuma hadn't let her go, Adrien would've been gone.

Why _did _the Gorilla let her go?It had to be because he was Adrien's bodyguard. Marinette thanked her lucky spots that some part of him must have fought back against Hawkmoth's influence.

"I guess you saw her with him, then," Alya said, sounding… guilty?

Huh. That was weird. Plus, Marinette realized, Alya hadn't grilled her about the attack earlier, despite it being obvious that Marinette would've seen it. She'd been _with _Adrien when it happened. Normally, Alya would sell an arm and a leg for first-hand accounts on Ladybug, but she'd barely said a word about it until now.

"Of course I did." She frowned at her friend. "You saw it too, didn't you? If you were following all the pictures of Adrien people were posting, you know I had every reason to be worried."

Because he could've crashed down—_no, Marinette, you're a SUPERHERO, you would never have let that happen!_

But she almost _had_.

If Chat had been here, he would've made a joke about her chasing her own tail. Running mental circles, getting no closer to _why _she felt so terrible. She'd saved the day, as always. She'd saved _him, _looked into his gorgeous green eyes as her yo-yo lowered them safely to the ground…

"I'm sure it's just a celebrity crush, Marinette. It's nothing to get worked up over."

Marinette blinked sunspots out of her eyes before rolling over to face her friend again. "I thought you were on _my_ side here. It's nota celebrity crush, even if that stupid ad..."

She was not helping her case. But Alya didn't take the opportunity to tease her about it this time.

"I _am _on your side." Alya's face went soft. "I wasn't talking about you. You… oh, I'm so stupid." She smacked her forehead.

"What?" Marinette finally sat up and knelt at the edge of the pool. Her brain tried to rewind the conversation to find out where Alya lost her. What had she heard before replaying that magical _(terrifying) _moment?

"You have no idea. But you _saw _the attack—you must not have been close enough. The pictures probably do it more justice…"

"_What _pictures? What are you talking about?"

Alya climbed out of the pool, dripping puddles that leaked beneath Marinette's shins.

"I wish I could tell you to forget about it, but you're going to see them eventually. I'm sorry, Mari."

Before Marinette could press her friend more answers, she disappeared to dig in her bag, then returned with her precious phone held a safe distance from the pool. Marinette scooted closer to stare at the tiny screen.

The screen, which showed Adrien staring at her—well, at _Ladybug—_with an expression she'd never seen on him before—though for some reason, there was an itching familiarity to it. Maybe because of how many times she'd seen it in her dreams.

It was a good thing Alya was holding the phone and not her, because it would have slipped from her fingers and shattered. How had she not noticed? She had _been there, _and somehow she'd missed her crush looking at her like she was an angel sent from heaven.

Well, maybe not quite like that. Angels usually inspired fear and awe, from what she knew, and Adrien's look was more like awe and sweet concentrated sunshine. She could _live _off that look. And paired with how his arms were wrapped around her back, her arm tightly circling his waist as the other let out the slack on her yo-yo...

Forget the perfume ad. _This _picture was going to be her new desktop. Only then everyone (Alya) would wonder why she had a picture of Adrien pining after a "different" girl, and things would spiral out of control from there. Everyone would know she was Ladybug, and then Hawkmoth would steal her miraculous before she could even properly ask Adrien on a date, or _he'd _see it and wonder why she had such a weird picture of him and think she was some kind of weirdo—

"Like I said, it's probably just a celebrity crush, but…" Alya trailed off, pulling her phone back and sneaking a peak at Marinette from the corner of her eye.

How was she supposed to look? Crushed? Heartbroken? How could she, when _Adrien _was giving her the softest heart eyes she'd ever seen?

"It's… yeah," she choked out. Shock. That would be believable, right? "Do you really think he—does he like m—her?"

"Those bedroom eyes don't lie," Alya said, then froze. "Uh, I mean—oh, who am I kidding. Between this and what I've squeezed out of Nino, Adrien's crazy about Ladybug. And from the look she's giving him, the feeling's probably mutual. I'm sorry girl."

"B-but she's a superhero. She can't just date anyone, not even someone as… _amazing _as Adrien. She wouldn't—she wouldn't put him in danger like that," she said, because it was true.

And because this was too good to believe, if Adrien was _crazy about her—_even the superhero version of her—well, that was _something, _right?

...No. No it wasn't. _Everyone _had a crush on Ladybug, from that too-old sculptor to Chat Noir to the crazed fans on the Ladyblog. That didn't mean those people would care about stuttering, stumbling Marinette.

Why would Adrien be any different?

"I don't know. I watched the video footage. Did you see the way he jumped? Like he's done it a thousand times. And the way she looked back at him—" Alya clamped her mouth shut, then winced. "Sorry. I am a horrible, terrible friend. I just wanted to warn you, you know—just in case."

Marinette's brow furrowed. "Like he's done it a thousand times, huh?"

"_You have to trust me." "Always."_

_Falling from fifty stories high, his arms spread wide, waiting for her to come leaping after him— _

Like he'd done it a thousand times.

"...Maybe he's a fan of skydiving," she murmured. Her fingers twitched, itching to grab Alya's phone, to see that soft expression again. Her last brain cell had already stopped functioning; it wasn't like she had anything left to lose.

"You're taking this better than I thought you would," Alya finally spoke up. "I was a little afraid I might have to keep a lookout for butterflies."

Marinette's face heated. "I'm not—I wouldn't get akumatized over _that," _she said. The thought of explaining that to Chat made her want to vomit. _Oh yeah, you know how you were so polite when I turned you down? Well, now I'm pining over someone someone so bad I got akumatized. Have fun trying to purify the butterfly without me!_

No, she would _not _let herself lose it over this. Not that there was anything to lose! She _was _Ladybug!

"I'm sure you're right, anyway. It's probably just a celebrity crush." Hurt and hope boiled in her stomach, upsetting the ice cream she'd inhaled earlier.

On one hand, Adrien might _like _her. On the other hand, he might just like the spots and suit, the idea of a girl who never failed, who was always there to catch him when he fell.

And could she blame him? She'd spent the afternoon drooling over him as badly as one of his psychotic fans, gone feral with one perfume ad and a dazzling smile.

Maybe she wasn't any different from them. Or from him.

Heck, maybe they _were _meant for each other.

"Either way, I'm proud of you, girl." Alya squeezed her shoulder. "I hope you know that you're every bit as amazing as Ladybug. And I believe one day Adrien will see that."

Marinette flashed a feeble smile before pulling Alya into a hug. Her bathing suit dripped on her, but it didn't matter.

"Thanks, Alya. That means a lot coming from Ladybug's number one fan."

Alya laughed. "You know it! If Adrien wants to date Ladybug, he'll have to go through me first!"

Despite everything, Marinette laughed, too. She had one person who would stick up for both sides of her, even if Alya didn't know it. For now, that was enough to ease the conflict churning inside her.

"I think I've got my brain back enough for a game of chicken now. If you and Alix aren't afraid to lose!"

Alya smirked, tossing her phone in her bag before chasing Marinette towards the water. "Oh, you wish!"

XXX

Forgetting Adrien was easier when she was with her friends. When she was alone that evening, lounging in her chaise with the Ladyblog open on her phone, not so much.

She owed Alya so many macarons for not posting the picture of Ladybug and Adrien that she'd shown her. But just because that photo didn't show up in on the main blog didn't protect her from the uploaded photos and _very out-there _theories in the comment section. Ulcerroar255 and SpottyConnection in particular were currently weaving a conspiracy theory that Adrien and Ladybug had been secret lovers for months. _If only._

"Marinette, you were there. You don't need to read what all these people think happened," Tikki said gently from her place on Marinette's shoulder.

"I know, Tikki, but…"

But she still melted a little every time she scrolled past a quickly-snapped photo of that soft green-eyed gaze.

"...Do you think he likes me, Tikki?" She whispered, pausing with her thumb pressed against the image of Adrien's blushing cheek.

"I think only he can answer that," Tikki responded. "All these people are arguing with each other. Some of them still think _Marinette _is Adrien's girlfriend, and you know that's not true."

She sighed heavily. "As if I could forget _that."_

Her arm flopped off the chaise. She didn't have a chance with Adrien as herself. Operation Secret Garden had proved that. But she hadn't fumbled around him as Ladybug today. The thought was so, so tempting. It was too bad the only time she ever got to see him as her superhero persona was when he was in mortal danger. She wasn't sure her heart could handle that again. What if because of these rumors, Hawmoth targeted him even more? And what if she _did _get distracted while trying to save him—or almost as bad, if he hated her because of the rumors, and she never saw him look at her like that again—

"This is a _disaster," _she groaned.

"Marinette, it isn't so bad! You can't jump to conclusions until you actually _talk _to him. You did so good today, too!"

Tikki's smile mollified Marinette a little. What would she do without her Kwami? Bury herself in a sulking, overdramatic pile of blankets and never come out, probably.

"You're right, Tikki. I need to talk to him."

Tikki spun into the air as Marinette sat up straight. A determined expression steeled her face.

"Marinette, what are you—"

"Tikki, spots on!"

XXX

She had reasons—excuses—for swinging to the Agreste Manor in the dying sunset. Adrien had been targeted by an akuma. Ladybug and Chat Noir often checked up on victims and those caught in the crossfire. It was even her night to patrol. And, well, apologizing for the rumors surrounding them might be helpful.

(Even if a foolish part of her wished she could make those rumors come true.)

"You cannot date Adrien Agreste as Ladybug," she told herself for the seventeenth time since leaving her house. "You are checking on him and getting answers so that your head doesn't explode when you see him again. That's all. You can do this."

Her yo-yo wrapped around the lip of the Agreste's roof. She swung gently onto the narrow ledge beneath Adrien's wide window, her suit helping her fingertips cling to the smooth glass. The nervousness coiling in her gut almost wished he wouldn't be there, but against the dusk, she'd seen the light on from two rooftops away. Now that she was closer, she could see his golden hair silhouetted by his computer screen. A familiar red-and-black theme marked the website.

Oh no. Of _course _he'd see the rumors on the Ladyblog already, and he'd hate her for dragging him into even more media drama, and now here she was staring in his window like some kind of _creeper _and she was right, she really was just like all those crazy fans—

Before she could do the sensible thing and flee, Adrien must have caught her reflection in his desktop monitor, because his chair spun to face her.

He was frozen. _She _was frozen. Her yo-yo could have snapped and she would've still been held in midair just by his wide-eyed gaze.

Somewhere, distantly, she realized that he was in his pajamas—a white t-shirt and black-on-red polka dotted pants. Were those… _Ladybug _pants? Her face flushed as she tried to shake off the thrill that shot through her.

Eventually she got enough control of herself to give a too-wide grin and shaking wave, which startled him to his feet.

"Ladybug," he breathed after flinging open the window and nearly flinging her off the ledge with it. "You're—why are you—um, hi."

He rubbed his neck and waved back. The wide, uncontained grin was a good look on him—and oddly familiar, too, though she was pretty sure she hadn't even dreamed of seeing such joy on his face.

"Nice pants," she giggled back, already feeling bolder when a blush swept over him.

"They're—uh…" His eyes darted around, as if hoping someone would come up with an excuse for him. How many times had she made that same expression after doing something embarrassing because of him? Maybe he really _did _like her! "I didn't expect anyone to come by tonight," he finally mumbled, still red to the tips of his ears.

She took pity on him. After all, he hadn't teased her when she showed up in _her _pajamas today.

"Chat and I sometimes visit people who've been targeted by akumas. I was…we were…worried about you," she explained, hoping that didn't sound too personal. "And there's something else I wanted to ask you, too. Could I come in?"

"Of course m—Ladybug." He stepped aside and held his arm out in a sweeping bow. "It's always a pleasure to be visited by the loveliest hero in Paris."

Her face warmed as she stepped into his room. The brief pause before her name was swept aside in the elation of _Adrien _calling her _lovely. _

"Trust me, you're my pleasure—I mean, the pleasure is mine."

She wanted to shove her fist in her mouth. Ladybug luck couldn't completely erase Marinette's awkwardness, apparently. Her eyes darted to his computer. She needed to bring this up quickly, before she lost her nerve.

"So, uh, I guess you saw what people have been saying about us, huh?" She tried to keep her voice as neutral as possible, despite the fact that she could've squealed just at the fact that she was in Adrien's bedroom. _(She was in Adrien's bedroom! With him! And she hadn't tripped or fallen over once!)_

"What they're—about—_us_. Right." His eyes widened before dropping to his feet. "I'm so sorry, Ladybug. I didn't mean to—some of my... fans, they jump to conclusions so fast. They even thought my friend Marinette was my girlfriend. I'm used to it, but I didn't mean to drag you into this mess too. I'm really sorry if it upset you."

_Oh, _she thought, pieces of her heart cracking and flaking off like debris from a broken akumatized object.

He regretted being paired with her. His gentle looks didn't mean anything after all. Which… was good, because she could never date him as Ladybug anyway. Right.

"I'm not upset," she said quietly. _Not about that, anyway. _"I'm used to it too, you know. As a superhero I probably get even more crazy fans than you—not that it's a competition or anything! You're really famous and gorgeous and—meep!"

He laughed freely as she slapped her hands over her mouth.

"Gorgeous, huh?" he teased as she flushed as red as her suit. Somehow he managed to look even _more _stunning as he flashed her a wink. (She'd gotten _two Adrien winks _in one day! How was she still standing?)"If that's the case, then you're p-positively stunning, m-Ladybug."

That brief teasing look faltered, replaced by a blush as deep as her own. He'd stuttered. _Adrien Agreste had stuttered because of her! _

Her brain was quickly becoming the consistency of cake batter. This was a terrible idea, a great idea, a _stupid idea—_did he like her or didn't he!? And even if he _did _like her she couldn't do anything about it—!

"You wouldn't say that if you knew who I was," she blurted. Really? _That _was what had to come out of her mouth? She might as well have taken out her brain and thrown it in the trash for all the good it was doing her. (Still less of a fail than quoting that ad earlier had been, though. Progress was progress, right?)

He stepped forward, reaching for her arm, and she couldn't bring herself to stop him.

"Why would you think that?" He said so, so quietly.

_Because you've barely looked at me outside the mask. Because I can't string together two sentences around you._

But that wasn't true either, was it? She really _had _spent a decent amount of time with him today as Marinette. And while he might not give her that look that shot electricity through her skin, he _did _seem to actually enjoy being with her. She should have just appreciated that, instead of—whatever this was she was doing.

"Sorry," she whispered back. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay after the akuma today, but I—it looks like you're fine. You don't need me now."

She pulled away from his gentle touch. It felt like ripping off her own skin.

"Ladybug, wait…"

She didn't even make it to the windowsill before stopping.

"Why _did _you come?" he asked. "Was that it, or did you really want to make sure I stopped those rumors? Because you didn't have to. I would never lie about something like that… er, not again anyway…"

She blinked. Had she heard that last part right? She gave him a shrewd look over her shoulder, to which he stiffened and winced.

"You lied about _what?_" she said before her filter could catch up with her. (If she'd ever had one to begin with.) Because if she had heard him right, then—

"Er—I can explain, really—"

"_Why?" _She was surprised to see him flinch. She might have felt guilty if her mind wasn't doing somersaults. "You're already famous. You don't need the attention—and it doesn't seem like you even want it, based on what happened today—a-and you don't even know me that well, really—" Or at least, he didn't know that he knew her. Right?

"Ladybug, wait, please." Adrien bit his lip (for her own sanity, she looked away from that), then stammered for a moment before finding his voice. "There was a guy who wanted to ask you out, but he looked too old for you, and I kind of, um, definitely _wasn't _jealous. I just—panicked. Because uh, I know how it is to have crazy fans too, and you don't—you shouldn't have to deal with that. So. I. Toldhimweweredating."

His face was as red as her suit. He peeked up at her with his head bowed, like he expected a storm of anger to burst from her. As if she could ever be mad at _him. _Instead she found herself speechless, which at least meant she didn't garble out something mortifying, like _"marry me" _or _"I've already named our pet hamster."_

"I shouldn't have lied and I'm really, _really _sorry, but if you don't forgive me I un—"

She cut him off with a crushing hug that surprised even her. Where had she found the courage to do _that? _It had been more instinct than thought, completely unplanned; maybe that was why—aaaand oops, she'd forgotten that with the strength the suit lent her, he probably couldn't breathe.

Except his arms were circling her back and his cheek was brushing her ear and _this was what it felt like to hug Adrien. _His embrace was both firmer and softer than she'd expected, his arms tight yet gentle, like he was afraid of crushing _her. _It felt even better than she'd daydreamed.

Though she hadn't imagined his smell. There was some kind of sweet soap—vanilla, maybe?—under the scent of _cheese, _of all things. Definitely not the fragrance that already sat in a bottle on her desk. It caught her off guard, but somehow made him feel more real. Like she wasn't imagining this miraculous moment one impulsive action had sprung her into.

"You're perfect," she breathed into his shoulder before going stiff. "I—I mean, it's perfect! That you lied about that, because—he sounds like a real weirdo, that guy, and who wants to date one of their crazy fans, right?"

As soon as she said it, she wished she could shove the words back in her mouth. _She _was the crazy fan. Throwing herself at him, using her superhero persona to steal his hugs—and she didn't even have the decency to regret it.

His arms dropped from around her as if burned. He knew about her crush, didn't he? Somehow he'd put it together, probably because she was _still _enamored with him, and he didn't even know she knew him, and ugh, she was so _obvious!_

"R-right." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at her.

"I mean—you know what that's like." There was no way she could make this better, but still she rambled, "You were running away from them all day, and I—I'm sorry."

She was doing this all wrong. This was an apology that needed to come from Marinette, not Ladybug. But the suit felt thinner than ever tonight, with no akuma to fight, no Chat Noir to back her up, nothing but Adrien's wide eyes and her own pounding heart. It was easy to forget she was supposed to be the hero of Paris and not just a girl hopelessly infatuated with a boy kilometers out of her league.

"You have nothing to apologize for," he said firmly. "If anything, I should be saying sorry to you. If I hadn't snuck out today, you never would have had to fight my bodyguard, or save me, or…deal with people thinking we're dating."

He looked away again, face scarlet.

"No, no, it's not your fault!" She shook her head, her pigtails whipping around her neck. "It's never anyone's fault but Hawkmoth's when someone gets akumatized. And I don't mind. Really. I just wanted to make sure _you _were okay. Akuma attacks can take a toll mentally, even when my powers fix the physical damage. And you…you almost..."

Her throat clogged up as the memories flooded through her again. It had been such a close call, and yet he'd hardly seemed shaken. If anything, _she _was the one still on edge. She'd been selfish to come here just to reassure herself that he was fine.

Yet she could hardly regret it when he met her eyes again. It was then that she saw it: that tender expression he'd been making in that photo, the one that had already threatened to turn her insides to much. In person, it was like looking directly into the sun. Going blind would be worth it if that was the last thing she saw.

"I knew you would save me, M-Ladybug," he said breathlessly.

His slip froze the warmth pooling in her stomach to sharp ice. Once, she could ignore. Twice might even be coincidence. But how many times had he started her name with _M _today? It was a special kind of stutter she'd never heard from him in any other situation. And she would know. She didn't pay inordinate amounts of attention to him for nothing.

_M-Ladybug._

_Marinette. Ladybug._

"You—what did you say?" She forced her voice to be like steel. No matter how much she liked Adrien, no matter how much she'd love to hear him praise her civilian self,he couldn't know. He _couldn't. _He would be in even more danger and if he got akumatized, Hawkmoth could find out her identity and—

_Breathe, Marinette! _she ordered herself, clenching and unclenching her fists to bring her back to the moment. Adrien didn't seem to be doing much better; his pupils had shrunk to pinpricks, his mouth open but silent. Until he covered it all with a sheepish grin, sudden and convincing enough to make her wonder if she'd imagined his panic.

"I said—uh, I knew you would save me? Because you're amazing and you always save everyone. How could I not trust you?"

_He thinks I'm amazing? _A wordless squeal built up in her, equal parts excited and panicked. Why couldn't this happen at any other time? She couldn't let him distract her now!

"No, what you said after that," she pressed.

"Oh, um. That." He chuckled nervously, hand playing with his ring for a tense moment. "I was just—you… look a lot like my friend Marinette!"

She screamed. Actually, physically screamed. It was a good thing the Agreste Mansion was so big; hopefully no one was close enough to hear.

Adrien jumped. "B-because of the pigtails, you know! Is—is that a bad thing? I didn't mean to upset you..."

Her eye twitched. Adrien was looking at her with a reflection of the panic she was feeling, though his quickly shifted to a more genuine concern.

"You can't tell _anyone." _She rose on her tiptoes and jabbed a finger towards his chest. Her crush didn't matter now. _Nothing _mattered more than protecting her secret, than protecting her city. Which included protecting him. "Promise me. Swear it."

"I-I'd promise you anything, Ladybug, but I don't…"

She could see the moment understanding dawned on his face. The small _o _of his lips, the golden eyebrows rising into his hair.

"Wait, you're… _Marinette?"_

Her hands slapped over his mouth before she realized what she was doing. _"Don't say it!"_

He garbled something against her palms, while she tried her best not to hyperventilate. This was good, right? The best case scenario. At least she trusted Adrien; it wasn't a stranger who'd found out her secret, even if—

"Ohhhhh, Chat is going to _kill _me," she moaned, only releasing his face to drop hers into her hands.

Adrien laughed, a nervous, high-pitched sound. "I seriously doubt that."

"You're right, but I still wanted him to be the first to know who I was. I-I mean, not that I'm upset with you, it's just—he's my partner, and I know he's wanted to know for so long—" _And I would never tell him, but I was careless enough to let my _crush _find out! Really, Marinette? You just haaaaad to visit Adrien and now he's going to get akumatized and tell Hawkmoth who you are and you'll never have three kids and a hamster because—_

"Ladybug, it's okay." Adrien's hands squeezed her shoulders. "_Breathe. _Chat Noir could never be upset with you for this." His lips quirked.

"How did you find out anyway? What gave me away? I have to be more careful, I can't—"

"I _didn't_ know."

Her breath hitched. She finally focused her eyes on his again. Panicked breaths steadied in the back of her throat.

"You… but then why did you say…"

"I had no idea you were… you _are… _Marinette," he whispered, cringing a little at the admission. That little flinch hurt more than anything. He was disappointed, wasn't he? She wasn't a perfect hero. She was the girl who tripped on her face and almost-not-quite-accidentally stole phones and could never get to class on time. Whatever he felt for Ladybug—if he felt anything at all—wouldn't translate to her now.

Not that it mattered. Her secret! That was what was important!

"But then… but you…?" She tried to analyze what he'd actually said, but it was all such a frantic blur. "You almost said my name."

"N-not exactly." He tapped his two fingertips together. "I, um, lied again. But only because you would've wanted me to! I thought you'd realized…and you don't…didn't want…"

He sighed, his shoulders slumping with the weight of whatever he was trying to say. He'd never been this incoherent around Marinette before. Now _neither _of them would be able to talk to each other. If he even wanted to talk to her again, knowing who she was.

"It's okay," she said quietly before placing her hand over his fidgeting ones. Surprisingly, his nervousness gave her a new reserve of strength. She wasn't the only one hurting here. She wasn't the only one who had no idea what would happen now—but it was done, and they could only move forward. At least, that's what she was pretty sure Tikki would've said.

"You can be honest with me, Adrien. I mean—I know I wasn't honest with you, because I couldn't tell you I'm a superhero—but. Um. Yeah." She jerked her hand back before clearing her throat. "I told you I'm not upset, and I meant it. If someone else besides Chat had to find out my secret… I'm glad it's you."

Her heart pounded. Had she really said that? And without choking on her words?

"You mean it?" he whispered.

She just nodded, not trusting any more words to come out coherently.

"Thank you." The earnestness in his eyes threatened to melt her. "That means more than you know."

"Of course," she mumbled, dodging his eyes before she did something stupid, like launch herself at him. _Get back on track, Marinette! _"Y-you were going to tell me something, weren't you?"

"...Right. You deserve to know," he finally said. His eyes squeezed shut, plunging her world into darkness. "Please don't be mad."

"I won't be. I promise." Pause. "Unless you told Hawkmoth who I am or something. That would definitely make me mad, no matter how much I—" _love you. _"—Nevermind."

A pathetic ending to what could've _finally _been her chance to tell him her feelings, but now wasn't the time. Not when there was so much else to worry about.

"Well, I can promise it's not that, at least." His hesitant little smile sharpened into a heart-poundingly familiar smirk.

"Plagg, claws out."

A black splotch groaned as it whirled out of a nearby trash can, disappearing into Adrien's ring.

Into _Chat Noir's _ring.

Marinette didn't faint. Her legs just decided they had better things to do than keep her standing upright, as her brain diverted all of her energy to _freaking the heck out._

"My lady!" Chat—_Adrien!—_cried, catching her by the waist before she could completely collapse. _That's _what he'd been about to say before—not "Marinette." _My lady. _

An incoherent gargling sound choked in her throat. She was still blinking the spots of his bright transformation out of her eyes and trying to believe what she was seeing.

Her crush. Her partner. Golden hair and neon green eyes currently blown wide with concern. His hands on her waist ... of course they were—by nature of akuma fights Chat and her touched and fell on each other all the time—but it's _Adrien _and he _doesn't—_

_Say something! _she begged her blue-screening brain as Chat-Adrien's expression slowly fell. _Say anything!_

"You don't smell like cheese anymore," was, somehow, the one thought that made it out of her mouth. She mentally smacked herself. _Really? Cheese!? Why don't you make a _pun _while you're at it!_

"Oh no, I broke her," he breathed.

She leaned into his embrace and took a deeper sniff. "The leather must cover it up. And there's something else too. I don't think you shower as much as you said you did." Her face heated with every ridiculous—but somehow perfectly coherent—sentence.

Chat Noir, understandably, gaped at her. "I just transformed in front of you, and you're worried about how I _smell?"_

"What do you _want _me to worry about? That the boy I've had a crush on all year is my superhero partner?"

Her eyes went wide. So much for keeping _any _secrets tonight.

Chat—for once—was speechless. Until a very un-Adrien-like grin crept up his face. Seriously, _how _were they the same person!? Chat made _cat puns _and was always in her space and surely she should've _known _if the love of her life was so close to her; she'd thought she knew so much about him and—and she knew absolutely _nothing._

But she knew everything.

She knew both sides of him.

He'd been _so close, _all this time,and she'd never bothered to look.

"Oh, I am such an idiot." She dropped her forehead against his chest.

"No, you're not. You don't have an idiotic brain cell in your body," he assured her, Chat's voice tempered with the softness she'd come to associate with Adrien. Even though he could've teased her, he didn't. She almost wished he would, just to snap her out of the spiraling keysmash that was her thoughts.

"More like I don't have _a _brain cell in my body," she groaned.

"You can share mine."

She pulled back just enough to glare at his teasing grin. She was right—the teasing did help. Some of the panic subsided.

He was still Chat. He was Adrien, her crush, but he was also her partner. The one she trusted. The one who, outside of Alya, was her closest friend.

"That would require _you _having a brain cell, minou."

"Hey! I resent that." He pretended to pout. (She was pretty sure he was pretending. She hoped. Because if she'd actually insulted _Adrien _and he didn't realize she was teasing anymore—)

"And here I thought you liked me. Unless…" He bit his lip. "Unless you don't, now that you know. I would understand. You didn't want us to share our identities and it's all my fault—"

"Chat. Adrien." At some point her hands had come to rest on his shoulders, but now they made their way up to cup his face, as if they'd been waiting to all along. "First of all, I was the one who came here in the middle of the night and practically gave my identity away. Second of all, I—well. I think it would take a lot more than dressing up in a leather cat suit to make me stop liking you."

Her face burned beneath her mask, but it was worth it to see his gobsmacked expression.

"You—you like me? Really?"

She bit the inside of her cheek and nodded. Her hands fell away from his face, mostly so she wouldn't pull him down to press her mouth to his.

"You probably think I'm just a crazy fan, liking you as Adrien and turning you down as Chat."

Before she had any time to marinate in the awkwardness of that realization, he said, "I don't really have any room to talk. You saw my pants, didn't you?" He smiled sheepishly. "I thought you always knew I was Ladybug's number one fan."

"You're going to have to fight Alya for that title, apparently." Her laugh released some of the tension that had built in her chest.

"Alright. Three a.m. Behind the bakery. Let's do it." He grinned.

"I don't think I can work a secret fight club into my schedule."

It was a relief how easily their banter flowed. If she was honest, she'd been so scared of finding out who was behind Chat's mask—of finding that he wouldn't really want to be her friend, if things were different, if they weren't thrown together by duty and chance. Of course, she never should have worried about that. Even if she hadn't known his civilian identity, she had always known who he _was_. Her partner. Her best friend.

More than that, apparently.

"Right. I doubt anyone could wake you up at three a.m. It's a good thing Hawkmoth needs his beauty sleep too."

She laughed at that, more sincerely than she usually did at Chat's jokes. She did feel a bit guilty for that—he _was _funny; he just normally had bad timing. Well, now she was sure she'd get to hear his puns more than just during akuma attacks. She hoped she didn't come to regret that.

"_I _need my beauty sleep," Marinette said, darting a glance out the window. The sun had set completely by now, and while she didn't want to leave Adrien (or Chat or _both of him), _her brain was going to need some time to process everything. She hoped she didn't deafen Tikki with her screaming when she got home.

"Impossible. You can't get any more beautiful," he said so straight-faced, as if he couldn't tell how it made her heart stutter.

"Y-you're… _stoooop," _she finally whined, dropping her face into her hands. "I can't handle you flirting with me."

"But… you like me, right? And you already know I'm in love with you, so—"

She jolted, stifling another scream. How could he say that so casually!? Like it wasn't going to make her tackle him to his bedroom floor—oh no, she should _not _be in his bedroom now—

"That's why I handle it can't. Can't handle it. _Gah." _She tugged at one of her pigtails, anything to distract her from that train of thought. "I could barely handle you looking gorgeous in that perfume ad; how do you expect me to survive you _point-blank _flirting with me?"

"I've been flirting with you this whole time!" He spread his arms in confusion. "It's finally working and _now _you want me to stop? You're my amazing partner _and _my amazing classmate and honestly it's taking everything in me not to kiss you right—_mmrph!"_

Things she learned today: one, Adrien had at least two seconds more self- control than she did. Two, neither of them had _any _idea how to kiss. It was all fumbling lips and bumping noses and the occasional mistake of teeth.

And every second of it was _heaven._

She had no idea how long her fingers had tangled in his hair and his hands had run goosebumps up and down her back before he finally pulled away, leaving her mouth chasing after his.

"Oh my g—"

She cut him off with another kiss, one that he sighed her name into. _Marinette. _Not Ladybug. Somehow, that told her all she needed to know about his feelings.

Maybe he'd fallen for Ladybug first, but she _was _Ladybug. She was Marinette. He was Adrien. He was Chat Noir. And no matter which facets of themselves they let catch the light, the others were still there, holding the whole gem together.

And tonight, every face of them was _sparkling._

"T-that happened." He blinked and bit his lip when she finally calmed down enough to pull back, her face flushed with happiness rather than mortification for once. "It _did _happen, right? There's not an akuma? I'm going to wake up, aren't I."

"No, Adrien. Unless your subconscious really wants Marinette Dupain-Cheng to be Ladybug…" she trailed off with a giggle at the sheer ridiculousness of him thinking it. If _she _was dreaming, then their kiss probably would've been a lot smoother, and would have ended a lot less quickly. ...Possibly never.

He rested his forehead against hers. "I wouldn't rule it out, Bugaboo."

A short burst of laughter tore from her, startling him back.

"What?" Adrien's arms dropped from around her.

"Sorry, Adrien, it's just—my crush has been calling me _Bugaboo _for months and I didn't even know!" More very-unladylike cackles escaped her, and soon he was laughing too. She wasn't sure which of them leaned in first, but soon they were both hugging again, shaking with the force of their giggles.

"The girl I love has been staring at the back of my head for months. _And _I got to go to the movies with her." He practically beamed. That expression always warmed her when it was just Chat, but now, knowing he was also Adrien, she couldn't help but _melt._

_The girl he loves. _I'm_ the girl he loves! _She would be squealing about that until her lungs gave out. "We could go to the movies again. Maybe we'd actually get to watch one this time." She grinned against his shoulder.

"Are you asking me on a _date,_ Marinette?"

She—she was, wasn't she? She'd done it. _Marinette had asked Adrien on a date! _

"_Yes, _you silly cat." She giggled and squeezed her partner tighter. Part of her was on top of the world, higher than the Eiffel Tower, and part of her was reeling with motion sickness like it was her first day as Ladybug again. This was still going to take some getting used to.

But they'd be getting used to it _together._

"I accept, of course," he said seriously. "I'd never turn down my biggest fan."

"I thought you wouldn't want to date a crazy fan?" she asked, only half joking. He still didn't know just how weird she'd been. She already vowed to take down her pictures as soon as she got home—well, most of them at least—but still. The only thing worse than never going out with him would be him changing his mind about it.

"Your words, not mine." He grinned. "Are you saying you really are _crazy _for me?"

"Shut _uuuuup." _

"You _are!"_ He practically cackled, and she was highly tempted to jump back out his window right there. "You _liiiiike _me."

"Well, y-you're crazier for me, so there!" she huffed, biting her lip to keep from laughing. He wasn't pushing her away; he was hugging her tighter and nuzzling the top of her head. So no matter how embarrassed she might feel, he obviously didn't mind.

"There was never any doubt of that, Mari." He kissed the part in the middle of her hair, and she squeaked. "I'll always be _your _biggest fan, you know."

Some of the lingering fear left her. Maybe one day he'd realize just how crazy she really was, and just how much his declaration of equal-craziness affected her. But for now, she was content to just surrender to his embrace.

"And I'll be yours."

**A/N: Adrien was talking about the Copycat episode when he mentioned lying about dating her. (I have no idea how old the sculptor was, but it **_**was **_**weird to me, so this is my headcanon for part of Chat's reasoning behind lying. He was also, of course, actually jealous.)**

**Anyway I love these two idiots in love, deuces *peace sign***


End file.
